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About the product

Four USB 2.0 connector slots are included. The new console is backward compatible with Wii games and Wii accessories.

IBM Power-based multi-core microprocessor.

Up to four Wii Remote (or Wii Remote Plus) controllers can be connected at once. The new console supports all Wii controllers and input devices, including the Nunchuk™ controller, Classic Controller, Classic Controller Pro and Wii Balance Board.

Product description

Four USB 2.0 connector slots are included. The new console is backward compatible with Wii games and Wii accessories.

IBM Power-based multi-core microprocessor.

Up to four Wii Remote (or Wii Remote Plus) controllers can be connected at once. The new console supports all Wii controllers and input devices, including the Nunchuk™ controller, Classic Controller, Classic Controller Pro and Wii Balance Board.

Top customer reviews

There are a lot of places you can learn about the Wii U. So in the beginning of my review I'm going to talk about whether you want the regular or the deluxe. And I'm here to tell you: maybe you don't have to buy the deluxe.

I've checked it out and here is the deal.

The Deluxe gives you:1) 24 GB more memory than a basic. Of course, you can add a cheap USB drive and duplicate this.2) A cradle for charging, but, the battery on my video remote isn't lasting long so I usually have the video remote plugged directly into the wall (because you can't play when its in the cradle!). So the cradle is not worth any extra money.3) NintendoLand, which you can buy separately. Nintendoland is a suite of mini games. Nintendoland does a good job of introducing you to everything the Wii U can do. If you love minigames, maybe you should buy the deluxe. If you just want dedicated titles like "ZombiU" or "Pikmin 3" then you might choose the basic Wii. After 2 weeks my daughter wants us to buy another game, because none of the mini games in Nintendo Land are very deep, and some are about as good as a $1 game you'd buy in an app store. (race game, balloon game, yoshi game: I'm talking to you)4) The Deluxe also gives you 10% back on all digital purchases, for each $50 you spend. So to get $5 back, you have to spend $50. Most people I know prefer to buy hard copies of their game so they can resell or trade them. But if you like to buy software online then you would want to get the deluxe.

You would want to consider the basic Wii U if:1) You don't like minigames (aka Nintendoland)2) You only buy hard copies of games.

You will see in the comments that someone claims the SanDisk won't work on the wii, but, I'm using one right now. What can I say? One test is worth 1,000 expert opinions... Installing the SanDisk was easy. In my case, I inserted it when the Wii U was off. Then I turned the Wii U on and it said "There is a new USB drive... do you want to format it and yes it?" I hit the button that said "yes" and it was set up just like that!

I'm a positive person in general, so I will be happy with my 32GB, but, if you are considering the 8GB, take heed.

If you are on the fence about the wii U, here is my main review:

I remember that Nintendo came under a lot of criticism for not having an HD version of the Wii. HD was around when the first Wii came out, and a lot of people were a bit skeptical that they stuck to the lower resolution. As HD became common, Nintendo told fans that they had to do something "more" than just come out with an HD version of the Wii.

Well, thats just what Nintendo did. The Wii U is more than "just Wii HD". But Nintendo hasn't changed the Wii experience very much. You still use Wii remotes every time you play. The Wii U is not "completely different" like the Wii was when it came out. The Wii U is the Wii's younger, smarter brother. And if you liked the Wii, you'll like the Wii U.

The 3 main features of the Wii U are:1) Its HD, which brings it (finally) up to speed with the Xbox and Playstation ... and everything else out there.2) The Wii U has a single video controller. The video controller opens up new game experiences. Whoever is playing on the video controller sees something different than the other players. For generations people have wanted multiplayer games that didn't use a "split TV screen", and the Wii U gives you that in one console. This is a really big deal. The video controller is also a touchscreen which you use to flick something at the screen, or move things on screen. The new video controller allows for new control options ... just like the "Wii balance board" allowed Nintendo to sell yoga and ski games.3) Videos, videos, videos. Netflix, youtube, TiVo, amazon instant video. It will keep track of the TV shows you want to watch, and when they will be on. You'll also be able to use the Wii U as a social outlet to chat about TV shows and movies. Nintendo calls this Wii TVii, and it would be a revolution in TV watching... if only all the features were available now. So you can use the Wii U as a control for all your Video experiences with your TV. The video controller will act like "PIP Picture in Picture in the palm of your hand". I use the Wii U with Amazon Video to watch movies for free, and the Wii remote lets me see information about the movie on IMDB WHILE the movie is playing. For sports, you'll be able to watch instant replays on the small screen... while the rest of your buddies continue to watch the big game on the main screen. So its going to be a remote controller on steroids. To be honest, this is going to be a really big big deal but since not all the features roll until "later" I can't give the WIi U a star for it yet. Maybe it will change your life, maybe not. Time will tell.

And that concludes the main appeal of the Wii U. We finally get HD, the video controller adds a new dimension to the usual Wii gaming, and it also serves as a "TV command center".

FAQ:::Some people have asked me about the Wii U, and the short answers are:1) No, you don't have to own a Wii to have a Wii U.2) You can only use ONE video controller with your Wii U. All other players use the old Wii remote.3) 5 people can play at once, making it even more of a "game party" console than before.4) You can't play DVDs or Blu Ray discs. Blue Ray is Sony Playstation territory, as you probably know.5) You can surf the internet on it (why would you want to? I don't know)6) Should I get the deluxe? Probably. You get 32gb of memory, which will become more important the longer you have the console, and the more you do with it. You get the Nintendo Land game. You get the cradle for charging the video gamepad. And until 2014 they will give you a store credit of 10% every time you make a purchase of digital content (games). If you buy digital content regularly, you might "earn back" the extra $50 you pay for the deluxe Wii U. (I tried this yesterday, read below for more info on the credit)

The Wii U has a host of "lesser" features:1) A person can play the Wii U without having the TV on. Expect a smack on your head if you want to play ZombiU while your wife watches a movie.2) Its backwards compatible with all older Wii games (but maybe not dance pads!), which is nice if you bought Zelda Skyward Sword this summer.3) Just as with the old Wii, you can download games from the Nintendo store. If you buy online content for your iPhone, Xbox, or PS3, you know that this is a big deal. I used to buy songs for guitar hero to add to the songs that came in the box. If you buy this DELUXE version, you get a 10% credit back for all online purchases, see more about this credit in "The Bad" below.4) The Wii U video controller is like a universal remote. You can turn on your TV and change the volume from the gamepad which is a convenience.5) Most of the old Wii hardware is compatible too, which is nice, EXCEPT that round "gamecube style" connector is not present on the Wii U. Games that use a mat like "outdoor challenge" and "Dance Dance Revolution" become history in your house.6) There is a big, easy to find "download again" button for all digital content, so if your Wii U got fried by a power surge you wouldn't lose your purchases. That's always nice.

The bad:1) The menus aren't intuitive. There are two menus... the Wii U menu and the Home menu. The Home menu is found by pressing the Home button. Note that now that downloads are automatic, the unintuitive menus aren't so bad. But they still seem redundant.2) Transferring data from the Wii to the Wii U should be easier. In particular I didn't like that when I imported my Miis, I had to do a separate step on the Wii U before I could actually use them in the games. The day I got it the patch took way too long to download and install, and after I transferred my data from my Wii I felt like I had spent 2 hours on the whole thing. But, since then, there has been no problem.3) Freezing. I did have a problem with NintendoLand locking up, but, that went away after one day. This will be something they fix and becomes a thing of the past. I wouldn't sweat it.4) Long updates. I feel that the time that it takes to download stuff and install it has improved over time.5) Installing downloaded content. I wrote a long rant about how annoying this was, but as of the most recent update you can buy items in the store and they download and install automatically, as they should.

Ok now that I'm done complaining...

Your decision matrix:1) If you still like playing on your Wii, and you have the money to spend, buy a Wii U and sell your Wii. You'll enjoy it.2) If you are considering between an Xbox+Kinect and a Wii U, I think its a tough call. I really like the "second screen" gaming, it really opens up a lot of possibilities. But most of the wii U stuff looks really juvenile. The kid down the street told me he still wanted an Xbox because the Xbox has games for teenagers. I said "whatev."3) As a side note, every kid who has seen and played our Wii U in the last two weeks has put this as the top item on the Christmas list. Its the "next big thing" for them and you can be sure that the little things that I complain about in this review won't matter to them. Not at all.

Games: Nintendo now has decent amount of digital content to buy online. I paid .35 for "kirby's great adventure" or something like that. Its a grainy looking old game, but it was only thirty five cents. Nintendo has started offering games at the $2, $5, and $8 price points as well. I'm VERY pleased to see this, because I want to be able to log into the shop and grab a game for cheap when I want to.

I rate this item 3 stars out of 5 because three stars means "it's ok". Nintendo has made a lot of improvements in 6 months, and while they have fixed most of the problems with the system, I find myself reluctant to raise the review to 4 stars until some more exclusive games are released. Pikmin 3 has been delayed until August, for example.

The Wii U is getting better. I think it may turn into my favorite console of all time, if they can just get some good exclusive games out, and improve the use of the video controller in those games. I really don't want another game where the video controller shows a map. Gimmie a break.

Seriously Wii U really put a lot of time and craftsmanship into this machine. It does WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY more then the xbox one and the ps4. It's hard to fathom because the wii wasn't a huge hit(sadly , just because it didn't come with hdmi) but it is to me the most impressive and essential system to own. In other words, I'm sold on the Wii U, I want to by there next console whenever it comes, no longer into xbox or ps4......besides, the only fun i had on xbox was whn i played halo4...that was it...and whenever friends were online.The main reason i chose to buy the Wii U was because I work out on the Wii Fit Plus and ended up loosing 20 lbs my frist 2 months. I heard about there being a Wii Fit U and so I jumped on this immediately, not to mention the mario games look like really fun and joyful to play, AND i ordered me the new COD Ghost.....and the wii classis controler just looked sick so i had to buy that too lol.

I rolled my eyes at the screened controller the first time I saw it. It was unnecessary, added to the cost, and just not innovative. After using the Wii Controller, I was pleasantly surprised. Great for when I can't find my glasses too! Though, the added cost is still a concern I have for the system. Accounting for more than 1/2 of the base production price! Not worth it, but an enjoyable feature nonetheless.

Most importantly, it functions as an easier and quicker remote controller for menus and interfaces for applications like Netflix. Which can be a hassle! A stylus and screen in front of your eyes makes the process easier than any other system out there.

GRAPHICS

Graphically, I had been told that the other gaming systems of this gen are far more advanced; however, the images are crisp, and even better when comparing cross-platform titles. So any complain about graphics shouldn't be directed at the console, but rather, the game developers...though, I will say I think it's a difference in style, but not quality. I love the graphical styles of first and second party Nintendo developers. Hyper-realism isn't necessarily better aesthetically.

As you can see, there are not many console sellers that have been released, but many on the list are due by the end of the year, and other due next year. Well, many do like ZombiU, Deus Ex, and Pikmin. Just not my thing. The launch of the system relied upon 2D/2.5D platformers, which feel outdated. I am a retro-gamer, but still, graphically, the modern videogame feels lacking, unambitious, and linear in that style. Very few large, open concept, fantasy inspired worlds to traverse, which all of it's predecessors had.

Essentially, the Wii U and other consoles this gen are selling slower, the videogame industry is cyclical and hopefully rebounding as it did from the XBOX/NGC generation, to the PS3/Wii/XBOX360 generation, when videogames saw the most sales unlike any other time period.

So, games are a bit disappointing as far as quantity, and perhaps diversity. However, the main staples are there, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, LoZ, as well as some new innovations. Hopefully more exciting titles are to come after developers gain more confidence after christmas sales. I think the Mario Kart to Smash Bros, two-one-hit, along with supporting titles, will help bolster the system confidence.

Also, the system would benefit from increasing it's N64 and NGC downloadable content.